In late 2018 our own Phil Bellingham and his national team member mate Mark Pollock (Wangaratta SC) completed the Mt Bogong to Hotham Winter Crossing in a time of 8 hrs 30 min. Congratulations!
This ‘Crossing’ has been completed by seven others since the tragic death of Charlie Derrick in 1964. They are listed in Phil’s report. Click [HERE]to view. Also, included at this location are details about Charlie Derrick’s attemptand the 1985 crossing in which the record was set by Audun Enderstad – a USA Olympian who completed the crossing in 5 hrs 53 min.
End of Season BBQ – Sat 16th Nov. RSVP by Thur 14th Nov to Elaine Thomas Email <elainemt66@yahoo.com.au> or Mobile: 0429 380 408 (text). Click[HERE]for details.
Where: In the picnic area by the lake in Mount Beauty
Time: From 5:00 pm
What to bring
We will provide the meat (and veggie burgers for those who prefer them), as well as bread and sauce.
You’ll need to bring your own chair, cutlery, plates, drinks, plus, for families, a salad and a sweet to share (singles and couples – please bring a salad OR a sweet to share).
RSVP to Elaine Thomas (social secretary) by Thursday 14th November
As a courtesy, please let me know you will be coming and if you need vegetarian food (or else BYO meat!). If you don’t reply, we’ll assume you are not coming so we don’t over order. It also makes it easier to contact you if the weather necessitates a change of venue.
If you decide to come at the last minute, please bring your own meat!
Thank you,
Elaine (social secretary)
National XC Provisional Teams
Alpine Shire Youth Awards
The annual awards are an opportunity for the Alpine Shire community to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of young people across a range of categories (10).
Two local Birkebeiner members and very keen racers won the Youth Award 12 – 16 Years. They were Tommi Silvester (15 years) and Ash Forrer (16 years) who in April 2019 were the youngest people to complete the total 660 km Australian Alps Walking Track from Walhalla (Vic) to Tharwa near Canberra. It took them 27 days and involved 12 months of planning and preparation. A fantastic effort!
From Left: Ewan Silvester, Johanna Pihkanen, Tommi Silvester, Ash Forrer, Michelle Forrer & Conrad Forrer
Kangaroo Hoppet Race Committee — Vacancy
The Kangaroo Hoppet is a wonderful community event held annually on the 4th Saturday of August in Falls Creek. The Race Office/Shop is based in Mt. Beauty and is the first point of call for skiers. This role is a great opportunity for a volunteer to contribute positively to this event. It is a rewarding and interesting time where you meet competitors from overseas, interstate and from our local community.
After 11 years of co-ordinating the Kangaroo Hoppet Race Office and Shop, Trish Cross and John Baileyhave tendered their wish to retire from this role. A job description is available for anyone interested, and a digital file and hard copies of every event is available. This includes merchandise orders, clothing sizes, numbers, plus volunteer lists and contact details.
The Co-ordinators have a regular core of wonderful volunteers who help out during the lead up to the Event and are supported by the Kangaroo Hoppet Race Committee.
If this valuable role is something you would be interested in, please contact Trish trishacross@bigpond.com to discuss it further.
2019 Kangaroo Hoppet Race Office & Shop — Thank you
The Hoppet Shop could not operate without the wonderful volunteer efforts of Mt. Beauty community members and volunteers from the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club.
The co-ordinators would like to acknowledge and thank Gael Little, Ann Bellingham, Eileen Clark, Sandi Coleman, Elaine Thomas, Mick Keenan, Meg Crebbin, Luise Mock, Jeanie Farrington, Rhonda Gargan, Bruce Wharrie, Marg Hayes, Liz Harvey, Virginie Bernard, Helen Howley, Natalie Flay, Sarah Gardiner, Faye Moreland, Mary Pike, Judy Ranton, Marion Sharman, Paul Sharman, Jim Crebbin, Beth Smith, Ian Smith, Tony Valente, Sue Tilley, Sonja Smith, Gill Harrowfield, Ian Harrowfield, Bettina Kayler and Bron Gray.
Your contribution is a vital part of the Hoppet event and we hope you enjoyed it. Hope you are able to help again in 2020 – 30thAnniversary Kangaroo Hoppet.
Archive of Kangaroo Hoppet T-shirts
Thanks to BNSC members and KH skiers who have responded to the call out for historical samples of the Kangaroo Hoppet souvenir T-shirts. We are still looking for samples from the following years: 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2014 and 2016.
If you still have a T-shirt from one of these years and are willing to donate it to the Archive, we would love to hear from you. Contact Trish on trishacross@bigpond.com who will organize for it to be added to the Archive.
The Australian Junior XC Ski Championships are being held at Falls Creek on the weekend of Sat 31st Aug (Sprint – C) & Sun 1st Sept (Distance – F). It is being organised by the club on behalf of Ski & Snowboard Australia.
Volunteers needed for this major two–day club event. Email Ann Bellingham race (secretary) if you can assist <racesecretary@birkebeiner.org.au>
All information about the weekend can be viewed when you click on the link below.
Online entry is available up to midnight Tuesday 27th August. Click[HERE]to enter.
Kangaroo Hoppet this Saturday 24th August starting at 9:30 am in the Falls Creek Nordic Bowl. Weather looks very good for both Friday and Saturday so get that entry in. Click[HERE]to enter.
Don’t miss the Snowshow tonight (Friday 9th August) on Channel 31at 8:00 pm in metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong. Members can watch it on Free-to-Air TV. Others without access to that coverage can watch it LIVE on the Channel 31 STREAMING service.Click[HERE] to view the Snowshow live.
Snowshow repeat — The show will be repeated on Saturday 10th August at 2:00 pm.
Ski de Femme(Sat 10th August) — Registrations are open. Click[HERE].
Rocky Valley Rush Citizen Race (F) — Sunday 11th August
This event is an institution at Falls Creek having started in 1976. Starts in the Nordic Bowl at 10:30 am. There are two distances: RV Rush 15 km & the Sun Valley Ramble 7.5 km. It is a freestyle race. A great warm-up race for the Hoppet on Saturday 24th August.
Please consider making a contribution either on Friday 23rd August (set-up day) or Saturday 24th August (race day). If you are a competitor, you can still help after your race. One hour is greatly appreciated. ContactJim Gargan (volunteer co-ordinator) to express your interest. Email <hoppet29@gmail.com>. For a list of jobs click[HERE].
Mt Hotham to Dinner Plain ‘Pub to Pub’ Race Results
This event was held on Saturday 3rd August. It is a very popular citizen race having been conducted since 1989. For the 2019 results click[HERE].
High Plains Festival — Sat 31st Aug & Sun 1st Sept.
This is being organised by the YMCA Falls Creek Cross Country. Saturday will involve Tours & Turns and Sunday Lessons & Workshops. Click[HERE]for more details and registration.
The 29thKangaroo Hoppet is only weeks away and the Race Office/Shop organiser would like to display some of the early T-shirts that were printed for competitors and volunteers.
If you have any Hoppet T-shirts stored away, especially early ones from 1991 through to 2010, and would like to donate them to the archive of Hoppet T-shirts we would love to hear from you.
The Race Office does not have a sample of every T-shirt produced and would like to do this for Hoppet history. If you have a T-shirt that could be added to this archive, please contact Trish Cross — mobile: 0422 049 207 to check if yours is one of the missing designs.
Please get behind this Hoppet initiative and see if we can come up with a complete 29 year set of T-shirts.
Hoppet Archive — Top left: Pre-Hoppet, top right: 2010, bottom left: 2016 and bottom right: 2015
Here is your opportunity to make a contribution to this great event.
Volunteers are needed on Friday 23rd August for Set-Up and on the day of the event Saturday 24th August. This is the 29th Hoppet since 1991.
Volunteers from the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club have played an integral role in the success of this event since its inception in 1991. The Hoppet events make a large contribution to the funding of BNSC. It allows BNSC to provide services such as:
The Clubhouse
Junior Joey, Junior Birkies and Junior Camp programs
International Coach each year for BNSC training and coaching programs not only for BNSC but for local School XC programs as well.
Training programs for BNSC members in training, instructing, coaching and administration
BNSC participation in Local, State and National XC bodies.
BNSC social activities
Please read through the list of jobs below. If you are able to volunteer some time for any of these jobs (or feel you need some more information before committing) please contact Jim Gargan(Volunteer Co-ordinator) via email at <hoppet29@gmail.com> ASAP.
Mt Hotham to Dinner Plain Race – 12 km (F)
This is also locally call the ‘Pub to Pub’ race. It is on this Saturday 3rd August, starting at 11:00 am from outside the Hotham General Store. Entry is $20.00 for adults and $5.00 for juniors (under 18 at 31 December 2019). Enter on-line [HERE]. For more race details click [HERE].
Last weekend the club conducted the FIS# Australian Senior Sprint (C) and Distance (W10 km and M15 km – F) Championships at Falls Creek for Ski & Snowboard Australia. Note – #FIS stands for Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS; English: International Ski Federation.
The club was successful on both days with Phil Bellingham taking out the double, winning the sprint and distance races. Congratulations Phil. Our ladies were impressive as well. In the sprint Katerina Paul was first, Casey Wright second and Ella Jackson third. In the distance race Casey Wright was first with Katerina Paul second.
The club’s volunteer workforce turned out in numbers thanks to our hard-working race secretary Ann Bellingham and her band of key helpers namely Ewan Silvester (volunteer co-ordinator), Ronice Goebel (chief of the race), Andrew Walker (chief of the course), Peter Smith on skidoo duties and of course the Alpine Timing team of Michal Trnka and his sidekick Bill Little. A big thank you to Ben Derrick and Finn Marsland who provide advice and assistance with the organisation and do a lot of hands-on work.
